To Have and to Hold

Love, Death, and Pleasure in Small Things

Exquisitelyillustrated book presents a wonderful selection of jewellery, snuffboxes, portrait miniatures and other treasures dating from the 18thand 19th centuries, many shown in detail.

The third volume in The Walters Art Museum Collection FocusSeries is a jewel-box of a book that explores the world of miniaturemasterpieces, luxury objects worn and used in Europe and Americas betweenaround 1700 and 1900. Despite their small size, they are enduring testaments tothe largest of human preoccupations: love, death, and pleasure.

Highlights include a snuffbox decorated with portraits ofLouis XVs grandchildren; a watch studded with pearls and diamonds made forNapoleon Bonapartes mother that allowed her totell the time by touch alone; a mourning ring containing the hair of two youngsisters buried thousands of miles apart; two exquisite Faberg eggs made asr